Dave Lockwood Guitar Studio

Duluth, GA

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About this pro

How does your service stand out?

I have extensive experience in both playing and teaching. I also have a knack for quickly developing rapport with students, which helps them become more engaged in the learning process. For students with a bit of experience, I have very effective methods for explaining the mysteries of music.

What do you enjoy about the work you do?

I really like working with someone who's been frustrated for a long time, and seeing understanding take hold on their faces. That's the moment that inspires them to learn even more...

Years in business

Number of employees

Times hired on Thumbtack

Reviews

Dave is very thorough in his lessons and knows about the guitar. He is a wonderful teacher and patient!

John P.
Oct 19, 2016

Guitar Lessons (for adults)

Verified Review

Great Instructor

Dave has been great, teaching me how to play great songs and the music theory behind the songs. This is giving me a great foundation to build my guitar skills and allow me to grow for the long term. Dave is very easy to work with and is very encouraging.

Puga S.
Aug 20, 2016

Guitar Lessons

Verified Review

Dave did a great job, we enjoyed the 1st class, looking forward to continuing the class. Dave's passion for music clearly comes across in the way he teaches the class. My daughter is the one that is getting trained and she is looking forward to her next class.

Nicole G.
Mar 26, 2016

Music Theory Lessons

Verified Review

Dave really helped me get on track in the fundamentals of theory. He's great on working with your level of experience and expanding your options on guitar. Very patient and focused on your goals and knowledge. He has been a great guide for me since.

Haden H.
Feb 13, 2016

Guitar Lessons (for children or teenagers)

Verified Review

Berry L.
Dec 11, 2015

Guitar Lessons (for adults)

Verified Review

Dave is a great problem fixer!!
I am happy to have lesson with him.

Karthik S.
Nov 18, 2015

Guitar Lessons (for adults)

Verified Review

Matt G.
Oct 15, 2015

Dave is an outstanding teacher. He can take whatever skill you currently have and move you to a higher level. Dave will advise you, or develop anything you would like to develop! He holds a superb knowledge of music, as he is a jazz musician. Dave can help you on multiple levels of music (technique, ear training, breaking down a song). He is a real asset to the guitar teaching world.

Harris G.
Sep 29, 2015

Guitar Lessons (for children or teenagers)

Verified Review

My time learning guitar with Dave was phenomenal from the very beginning. Dave has an expert yet easygoing demeanor, which makes it very easy to get into practicing. He makes sure you always understand the underlying purpose to everything you practice, and makes guitar very accessible, even for a beginner like myself. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back in a few months!

Rose-Anne S.
Sep 24, 2015

Guitar Lessons (for children or teenagers)

Verified Review

We have been very happy with Dave. He has really focused on my son's technique. I can see a big improvement in only several weeks.

Maria S.
Jun 12, 2015

Guitar Lessons (for adults)

Verified Review

We have yet to start guitar lessons with Mr. Lockwood but so far he has been a dream to do business with! He has been prompt with responding to questions and he has been incredibly accommodating!

Rick A.
Mar 31, 2015

Guitar Lessons

Verified Review

Vamsi K.
Mar 1, 2015

Guitar Lessons

Verified Review

Shawn B.
Feb 12, 2015

Guitar Lessons

Verified Review

He is really knowledgeable, and easy to work with.

Taquela B.
Feb 2, 2015

Guitar Lessons

Verified Review

Thomas G.
Jan 8, 2015

Guitar Lessons

Verified Review

Dave is very patient, friendly, professional, and adaptable. His lessons are not cookie cutter, rather his lessons take shape around what you want to learn. At the end of a lesson, I felt as though I had spent time with a friend instead of a teacher. I highly recommend giving Dave a try. His first lesson is free, so you can get a feel for the student-teacher relationship at no cost.

Mark O.
Apr 19, 2014

Guitar Lessons

Verified Review

Dave is great to work with

Julie H.
Feb 27, 2014

Dave is an incredible teacher who also instills in his students a great love of music and the guitar!
Two of my sons have taken lessons with Dave for several years. Though each of my boys are very different from each other, Dave is able to teach each one in a way that applies specifically to the way they learn.
My sons have both grown significantly in their musical abilities under Dave's instruction. One is now a part of a worship band. The other in now in college and regularly plays both for his own benefit and for others.
Our family highly recommends Dave!

Jill H.
Feb 12, 2014

I've been working with Dave for around a year and a half and I would highly recommend him. I play both pick and fingerstyle and Dave is able to teach both techniques. It's hard to find a guitar teacher who can teach technique and theory in a structured fashion, but Dave does it with ease and patience. He has an especially effective method for teaching chord structures and the entire fretboard. He also has a great ear so he can generally figure out and teach you most any song you want to learn just by listening to a recording.

Lena Z.
Jan 16, 2014

Dave loves what he does; he uses teaching method that keeps our son interested and motivated to continue playing guitar and perfecting his technique.

Samson T.
Dec 28, 2013

Dave is an outstanding guitar teacher. My boy has been taking lesson from Dave for a few years. Under Dave's guidance, my boy is becoming quite a guitar player. I really enjoy listening to my boy practice his guitar every evening. I highly recommend Dave!

Mr Lockwood is always well prepared for each lesson. His teaching method is great and introduces concepts gradually making it easy to stay motivated and not feel overwhelmed and confused. He's a very good classical teacher, and provides very clear connections and contrasts between classical and popular disciplines. For learning jazz look no further, he will teach the very tricky concepts in a way that anybody can grasp.

Renee M.
Feb 1, 2013

Dave is awesome at teaching my 10 year old daughter guitar. He is very knowledgeable, skilled and just a pleasure to work with. He customizes the lesson to her so the lessons are interesting and exciting without overwhelming her. I highly recommend him.

Mike E.
Jan 28, 2013

Guitar Lessons

Verified Review

Dave has been teaching us for nine months on a weekly basis! Us includes my oldest son (33) and my son in law (31) and me (61). We have thoroughly enjoyed our experience and plan to continue indefinitely. We are all improving-the youthful more so than me! Dave challenges us but is patient. Great guy with a passion for the guitar and a gift to teach.

Daniel D.
Jan 28, 2013

When I came to Dave Lockwood for guitar lessons, I was struggling in kind of a self-taught rut. I could play chords for a lot of songs, but I didn't know the theory or anything you would call "advanced". Dave's methods show you how to understand the fretboard and why certain notes and chords go together. He is really helping me become a complete player.
Mostly though, Dave is a very patient teacher. He doesn't mind going over the same material with you until you understand it and he'll take different approaches until you get it. I really appreciate this about his teaching methods.

Q&A

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

The first thing we'll do together is discuss their previous experiences with music (if there are any). From there, I can start to formulate a picture of what needs to change in their approach to get them to move towards their guitar goals.
We'll also talk about what their preferred style of music is, as the guitar can do anything musically. Which is great, but also potentially intimidating if you don't choose a direction.
Every student is different, so there is no "typical lesson". I teach raw beginners as well as players with many years of experience. I address things such as proper technique (playing scales, strumming chords, etc), as well as more advanced topics such as music theory, ear training, composing, chord melody playing, sweep picking, arpeggios, reharmonization, and many, many other things.

What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

I've been playing and studying the guitar since 1986. I have an advanced degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, and have studied extensively with great teacher in NY, as well as Atlanta. There's always something to learn!

Do you have a standard pricing system for your service? If so, please share the details here.

My standard pricing is a $10 half hour trial lesson (or $20 hour trial), then $25/half hour, or $50/hr after that. Lessons are paid for by the month (after the trial lesson).
Through Thumbtack, I offer a 20% discount off of your first 4 lessons after your trial lesson, which comes out to $20/$40, respectively.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

I've been teaching full time for about 11 years. My start in teaching was a natural result of 2 things in my life - my knack for teaching (I used to be a corporate trainer, as well as a counselor), and my passion for music.

What types of customers have you worked with?

I've worked with all kinds of people. Kids as young as 5, to adults up to 85 years young. I work with many beginners, as well as professional players looking to upgrade their skills.

What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

You'll want to get references of course, but references that are specifically from clients like yourself. If you have a 5 year old that wants music lessons, wouldn't it be great to know that they've done a good job with kids in a similar age range?